CARICELLO 2000. 168cms.

Now established at his Mullingar base, the former Knightfield Stud sire is life approved by the Holsteiner Verband.

This exceptionally well-bred stallion was sourced in Germany as a young horse by Tom Rowland, who selected the Carvallo colt for his pedigree and jumping technique. With Conor Swail, he built up an exceptionally consistent record, qualifying twice for Dublin and was never out of the top eight from 18 classes.

As a mark of his precocious ability, he won the Grand Prix at Bourg en Bresse at just a seven-year-old. Progeny that have inherited his excellent jumping technique include the now Swedish-owned A Touch Of Caricello, winner of the opening six-year-old class at Dublin in 2014 for Eddie Moloney.

Other show jumping offspring, from his first small crops include the Swiss export Cariflight, winner of a class at Lanaken last spring. According to Trevor, Caricello stock are in demand by agents such as Vere Phillips and Barry O’Connor, with the latter selling several to American buyers.

One mark of a commercial sire is his ability to produce dual-purpose stock and Caricello, again from small books of mares, has sired a number of promising young eventers, several of which are also US exports.

These include the Dassett Choice and Cooley O, both previously campaigned on the British circuit where they also made a name for Caricello stock’s jumping ability.

A previous US export was Caricello’s sire Carvallo,who scored an elusive 10 for his jumping ability during the Holsteiner Verband inspections. Carvallo, like Mylord Carthago, is by the Dutch dual Olympic horse, Carthago Z, from the Capitol I line. Caricello’s dam Grace BB also had a top pedigree featuring Ladykiller, Ramzes and a double cross of Cottage Son.

Her sire Lord was another star in Holsteiner breeding history and one of his best-known sons was the Olympic horse Livius, a Nations Cup and Grand Prix winner. Lord’s grandson Lux Z, also competed at Olympic level and is a familiar name to Irish breeders.

With a stellar Holsteiner pedigree and promising performers emerging in both spheres, Caricello may have been under the radar but is certainly a worthwhile addition to the Bridge House Stud ranks.

LET THE LION ROAR

2001. 168cms.

Although the impeccably-bred Let The Lion Roar was standing at Bridge House Stud for a number of seasons, it was just last year that the Epsom Derby-placed blueblood was presented at the HSI stallion inspections. He was approved with flying colours and new blood amongst the thoroughbred ranks is good news for sport horse breeders, particularly for a horse with Let The Lion Roar’s credentials.

His sire Sadler’s Wells is one of the bloodstock industry’s all-time legends. Winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and Phoenix Park Champion Stakes in 1984, the Vincent O’Brien-trained son of Northern Dancer was runner-up in the French Derby that summer.

However, it was as both a sire and sire of sires that Sadler’s Wells excelled himself, recording no less than 14 champion sire titles in Great Britain and Ireland. He produced household racing names such as Galileo, High Chapparal, Old Vic, Opera House and Salsabil amongst his 70 individual Group 1 winners, was a leading broodmare sire and also established himself in the National Hunt world. Immortalised there as the sire of three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq, he has emerged as a sire of National Hunt sires with his sons including Kayf Tara, King’s Theatre, Milan, Old Vic, Saddlers’ Hall and Yeats.

Let The Lion Roar’s dam, the aptly-named Ballerina, is a daughter of Dancing Brave, whose storming victory in the 1986 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is one of the flat racing game’s finest moments. He is also familiar to eventing breeding fans as the sire of Ghareeb, a stallion that has consistently appeared in the WBFSH and British Eventing sire rankings over the past five years. His four-star progeny include London Olympic horse Coolio, Kilronan, (the top-ranked Irish-bred in the 2015 world rankings), Trig Point and ODT Ghareeb.

Let The Lion Roar recorded his own notable racecourse career, winning twice as a two-year-old before going on to place third in the 2004 Vodafone Derby. He also placed second in the Great Voltigeur Stakes and third in the Dante Stakes. His Timeform rating of 122 is on a par with yet another of Sadler’s Wells’ popular National Hunt sires, Oscar, and above Dr Massini.

Trevor is convinced that Let The Lion Roar, one of the best-bred thoroughbreds available to sport horse mares, and his stable companion Sirillio have a role to play in the Irish eventing and traditional markets, where thoroughbred blood is always required.

SIRILLIO

1996. 165cms

The second HSI-approved thoroughbred sire at Bridge House Stud is, of course, Sirillio. German event breeding has seen an increase in the addition of thoroughbred blood as best seen in the dual Olympic champion La Biosthetique Sam, by the Irish export Stan The Man.

The German-bred Sirillio reversed that move when he arrived at Bridge House Stud and was presented at the 2010 Horse Sport Ireland stallion inspections where he was described as an attractive, well-proportioned type. His excellent attitude, technique and scope during the jumping phase also received favourable comment and since then, Sirillio has received support from traditional Irish breeders.

His first crops include one campaigned in young event horse classes in Germany for Sirillio’s great supporter Professor Gerhard Sybrecht, the licensed stallion son Brookhurst Sirdallio in England and Simpatico, now eventing there at novice level. On the Irish circuit, his runners include Sue Ryan’s Healy’s King Sirillio, second as a four-year-old at Kilguilkey House at just his second outing.

Sirillio also features a number of thoroughbred icons in his family tree, beginning with Mill Reef, also seen in Ghareeb’s pedigree. This weekend’s World Cup final action in Omaha recalls the great Shutterfly, yet another to trace back through Sacramento Song to Sirillio’s ancestor Sicambre.

Other strong eventing influences in Raise A Native, Fair Trial and Tourbillon are also present in the pedigree of Sirillio, the second thoroughbred choice at Bridge House Stud this year.

GUIDED by Genetics, Driven by Success” is Trevor and Elizabeth Badger’s business slogan and the couple’s family-run stud is conveniently located near Mullingar in the midlands. Established in 1988, Bridge House Stud also offers mare and foal boarding, farriery services and sales preparation.

In addition to the Holsteiner blueblood Caricello and a choice of thoroughbred sires in Let The Lion Roar and Sirillio, the stud also stands the Connemara stallion Dunlewey Seamus. His progeny are proving popular, with several sold abroad by Richard Wright, and the resident Connemara has dual appeal for both native pony and traditional breeders.

Bridge House Stud, Ballynacargy, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

Contact: Trevor & Elizabeth Badger.

Tel: 044 935 7707/087 278 9705.

Website: www.bridgehousestudireland.com

Email: info@bridgehousestudireland.com